A holiday amidst the tropical delight of Philippines can be a great way to unwind and be rejuvenated from the stress of everyday life. The Shangri-La Resort in Boracay seemed to offer all that is needed for such a holiday. Nestled amidst a lush green hillside in an eco-reserve, the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay is a beautiful sprawling property that offers a luxurious getaway to its guests. With secluded beaches, an array of comforts and facilities to choose from, a great spa village and more, this is an amazing getaway for a holiday that is all about being pampered and catered to.

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First Impression/Lobby: We were promptly greeted by a Shangri-La representative in the tiny airport of Boracay right outside the arrivals area. After escorting us to the waiting van he went back to collect our luggage. A short wait for the other guests to come and soon we were on our way to the marina to catch the boat to the resort. While we had waited for the other guests we were treated to cool fresh towels, water and juice. Once we left the airport we reached the marina in less than five minutes and the ride to the resort took about 15 minutes.

At the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay we were transferred to golf carts and driven to the lobby. The lobby was designed in standard with any high-end tropical resort; tall towering ceilings, spectacular views of the surrounding property, rich deep colors, and light fixtures all blending in to create an ambience of luxury and subtle style. It oozed a feel of a warm welcoming and comfort without being garishly cluttered and showy.

Reception: The registration did not go as smoothly as expected. At the check-in we found out that our room wasn’t ready yet and that we were expected to wait for 45 minutes until we could get to it. Our suggestion of being offered lunch or a drink during our wait was agreed to but after a pause of reluctance which did not set well with us. Quite unexpected for a Shangri-La resort.

The Suite: The room we had booked at the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay for our stay was the Loft Villa. It was designed in two levels; the top floor which had the main entry and the bedroom, and a floor below with the living room, kitchenette, half-bath, balcony overlooking the sea, plunge-pool, outdoor shower, covered dining area and a sundeck with lounge chairs. It was like having a mini-private paradise to ourselves.

The bedroom was comfortable and spacious with a huge walk-in closet which offered ample luggage and storage space. The king-sized bed was comfortable and made to sink into with a pretty printed bed runner and an ottoman at its foot. The bedroom also had doors that opened up to the balcony which offered a splendid view of the beautiful sea below. The beige colors used on the wall created a warm welcoming feel and played well with the sunlight that streamed into the room.

The attached bathroom was luxurious and done in marble with twin sinks, a large stand-alone shower, a separate toilet stall and a deep soaking tub alongside a large window offering picturesque views to the sea below.

The living room too had the same color tones. With two small, comfortable wicker and cushion couches, plus a side chair with an ottoman it was a cross between tropical luxury and at home comfort. A work desk and a large screen TV completed the living room.

The villa also had a small kitchenette with a sleek black marble-top counter, a microwave and a mini-fridge. The hardwood floors brought in cheery warmth to the room.

The Shangri-La Resort in Boracay offered us a butler system by which we had one dedicated butler serving us in the morning and another in the evening. But unlike other high-end luxury resorts these butlers were not solely allotted to us, and so service fell short. The service we had encountered by the end of the first day at the resort wasn’t professional and lacked efficiency.

Room Service: The room service was quite a nightmare. The food arrived on time on the first day, an hour late the second after having been promised only a half an hour wait, and on the third occasion it took three trips to get the order right. And the quality of the food left much to be desired and made the wait a complete waste of time. This shaved off many points in the resort’s favor.

Housekeeping: Though not perfect, the housekeeping services offered at the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay were decent enough. There was much room for improvement and they didn’t look into aspects of clearing all the in-room dining dishes or consistently folding clothing or straightening up the patio area systematically. For a five-star property, their housekeeping services were not up to par.

Concierge: The concierge service on the whole wasn’t too impressive. The butler was also our concierge. There were delays in getting answers, a few lapses in the service and an inconsistency between the options offered by both the butlers which created a little bit of confusion.

Restaurant: The Shangri-La Resort in Boracay offers a number of dining options to its guests. Cielo, a poolside restaurant, offers pasta meals and gourmet oven-baked pizzas besides great cocktails. Rima is located overlooking the resort and offers delectable cuisine from October to June. Sirena, the resort’s seafood restaurant, offers casual dining and is located on a cliff-top overlooking the aqua blue waters. The main dining of the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay, Vintana, is an alfresco restaurant offering different cuisines from around the world in their buffet. They also offer an a-la-carte menu for all-day dining and some great deserts.

The Shangri-La Resort in Boracay also had a few lounges and bars; Alon located in between the resort’s freeform swimming pool and a secluded beach front where guests can indulge in some tropical drinks and snacks while enjoying the sun and sand, the Lobby Lounge which offers a panoramic view of the entire resort while being treated to a great selection of premium cigars, liqueurs and spirits or even a refreshing cup of tea, and Solana which offers cocktails and tapas around a fire-pit or in the comfort of a cabana.

Pool/Spa/Activities: The villa we had booked for ourselves offered us the comfort of our own plunge pool. But the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay also had a main pool, secluded beach areas and more for all the water-babies. Being a popular resort, some of the areas were a bit crowded. The free-form swimming pool is large and well designed. The resort also offers a marine center with diving facilities, a health club and a great spa, CHI. The sprawling property being an eco-conserve has within its area exotic species of flora and fauna and some good nature trails.

Check-Out: The check-out at the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay was quite fast even though there were a few errors on the bill, however, they were taken care of promptly.

Overall Impression: The property of the Shangri-La Resort in Boracay was stunning, relaxing and pure paradise. Our gorgeous villa, the good restaurants, the tropical leisure and luxury gave the resort high scores. But the lacking service and care shaved off points which dropped it from our highest score of Fantastic Bombastic to alower, but still stellar score of Bombastic.

Address and Telephone Number:
Shangri-la’s Boracay Resort and Spa
Barangay Yapak
Boracay Island
Malay, Aklan 5608, Philippines
T: (63 36) 288 4988
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